Pendant
by Keruseyu
Summary: A strange birthday gift is changing Kel's life- and she doesn't even know it!
1. Birthday Present

Pendant  
  
by Keruseyu  
  
===  
  
A young woman sat amidst strewn about tissue paper, staring at the necklace in her hand. Her light brown hair flowed to her mid-back, sweeping to make a shimmering curtain around the object she was gripping so uneasily.  
  
Another girl, about the age of the first, leaned against a doorframe in their 5-bedroom, spacious dorm. Her red hair was only shoulder-length, tied back in a low ponytail. Light purple eyes were set in her determined face. The middriff shirt she wore was black, as were her hip-hugger flares. Red letters flowed down her hip, forming the word 'Alanna.'   
  
"So, Kel, what did you get now?" Kel jumped, glaring at her oh-so-quiet friend. Alanna, grinning, made her way through the mess of gift wrap on the floor and plopped down beside her.   
  
Kel shook her head. "It's nothing, really. This necklace just creeps me out." Alanna looked at the pendant, raising one eyebrow. "It looks like ordinary thrift shop material to me." she murmured. "But it's real silver... And it's unusual for thrifts to sell something this well made."   
  
She handed the pendant back to her friend, getting up silently from their cocoon of tissue and boxes. She turned when she reached the door, fishing something out of her pocket. She tossed it to her friend, face slightly pink.   
  
"Huh?" Kel stared at the object. It was a small box, blanketed in blue wrapping paper. "Happy B-day, Kel." Without another word, she turned and strolled calmly into the hall, heading for her room.   
  
Kel gently snipped the tape from the wrapping, setting the wrap aside gently. Inside the box were two things; a gift card to Express, her favorite store, and a little book called, "Poetry: A Collection of the Finest Literature Ever Written." Kel grinned, eyes alight. "Yo, Alan!" She called, using the nickname of her roomate. "Thanks!"   
  
"Whatever." She answered, voice happier than usual. "You should wear that necklace to tonight's party at Ashley's Express. It looks good on you."  
  
Kel beamed at the advice- Alanna's compliments were rare- and gathered the remains of the paper, throwing it all in the trash can.   
  
She headed to the bathroom to take a shower, holding the poetry book out in front of her, reading aloud as she grabbed a towel.   
  
===  
  
Author's note: Whaddaya think? Alanna is way OOC, but I DO NO CARE!!!! YOU HEAR ME, PEOPLE??!!! YOU HEAR ME? If anyone comments on that negatively, they will be restricted from giving me reviews! I did it to THE Flamer, and i'll do it to you!!!  
  
Ah, sorry for going dark side there. Please review! *Glares at cowering flamers, cornering them while holding up a knife*  
  
Oh, disclaimer for both my Pierce stories! I have nothing to do with the writing of the Pierce series! Full credit goes to Tamora Pierce!  
  
===  
  
"Hey, Kel, do I look alright?" Kel turned from applying her mascara as Lalasa, another one of her roomies, sat on her bed. "I mean, please tell me what you think. I'm sorry for being so impolite." Kel deadpanned at her very quiet friend. "Uh, Lalasa, save it for the professors!"   
  
Lalasa brightened visibly, eyes twinkling. "Sorry, but I need the practice. Pretty soon, i'm going to be as rude as Buri." Another, rougher voice came from the door. The talked-of personage walked in, looking agitated. "I heard that." She growled.   
  
She was followed by their other 5 housmates- Daine Sarrasri, and, of course, Alanna.  
  
Every girl looked pretty gothic; all wore major eyeliner, all-black clothes, and Daine had even put red streaks in her smokey, styled hair.   
  
Only Lalasa looked in the least refined, and that was only because only the skin on her hands and face showed. All of the rest of her was swathed in sleek black silk, flowing around her.   
  
Kel glanced down at her flares and blouse, examining the pendant she wore. Alanna was right: it did look good on her, and all the others agreed with her when she spoke of it.   
  
Trying to release her ever-growing dread, she managed to get in their car for the ride to the club. 


	2. Poker

Pendant  
  
by Keruseyu  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Poker  
  
===  
  
"Hey, Kel, wanna play poker?"   
  
Kel jumped at Lalasa's voice. Lalasa giggled. "Kel, you're way too tense. Relax, girl!"   
  
Kel rolled her eyes, but reluctantly began to shuffle the deck. Lalasa watched as her friend's eyes drooped.   
  
"What's the matter, Kel? You've been out of it, since, like, 12!"   
  
She looked up. "Um, no. I just feel strange. You know that I've gotten hit on by at least 50 guys tonight?" Lalasa grinned. "Gettin' popular, are you? I bet us'n the girls have almost every guy on campus twirled around our fingers."   
  
Kel sighed. "I feel guilty, teasing them so." A dry voice commented from behind them. Pulling aside the curtain that seperated the pair of girls from the chaos of dancers on the floor, Alanna, Daine, and Buri climbed into the booth.   
  
"Poker, is it?" Buri smirked. "Let the queen deal, then!" Kel laughed. "As if, Buri! You couldn't win a game of poker if your life depended on it!"  
  
Buri twitched in annoyance. "I can too!"   
  
"Well, bet on that, then!" Buri looked confused. "What?"   
  
"I said, bet on it! Y'know, put down some money. Bet that you can play poker. That way, when we prove we're right, we'll get some money out of it."  
  
Buri groaned and slapped down a 100 dollar bill. "Bring it... No poker chips this time."   
  
===  
  
Kel grinned as she snatched the 100 off of the table. "Sweet!"  
  
Buri retreated to the corner of their booth to sulk.  
  
Alanna set down her cards. "Okay, let's play it our way."   
  
They all grinned. "Sure!" They said simultaniously. Only Lalasa and Buri were silent.  
  
Alanna gathered the deck and began to shuffle, absently doing tricks with the cards.  
  
"Okay, topic!" She demanded.  
  
"Um... Shirt sayings!"  
  
Lalasa watched, confused. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Oh... You're new. We forget that, sorry!" Kel murmured. "Buri, since we're busy, tell Lalasa how to play."  
  
Buri sat up. "You get 5 cards. Every time you exchange with new cards, you have to say a shirt saying. If you don't answer within five seconds, you have to put all your chips in the middle without actually raising. They're just free chips. You continue to play, but if you lose to anyone, you're out. You have to make a deal to get back in." Lalasa smiled. "I can handle that!"  
  
Alanna dealt the cards, looking down at her own hand.   
  
She reached in to exchange. "Um..."  
  
"One, two..." The others chanted. "I've used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead!" Alanna said quickly.  
  
They all groaned. Lalasa exchanged, calling out, "My husband and I divorced over religious differences! He thought he was God, and I didn't!"  
  
Buri touched the card pile. "Um, um, um..."   
  
"Four, FIVE!!!" They all yelled. Kel grinned. "Put em' in, Buri!" The fuming woman slid all her poker chips into the center of the table.  
  
Things went on, with both Daine and Kel quick-minded enough to supply answers. Laying down their cards, Alanna won beautifully. Buri begrudgingly promised to pay for dinner.   
  
"New topic!" Lalasa shouted.   
  
"Mean sayings from anything!"  
  
They all stared at Kel. "What? I'm good with this stuff." She said huffily.  
  
Buri clapped. "I'm in my element!" She said happily.  
  
"A mind is a terrible thing to waste; I'm glad they didn't waste one on you." Buri said primly. She gathered her new cards.  
  
"If it weren't for people like you, nobody else would have an above average IQ."  
  
"THINK--it gives you something to do while the computer is down."  
  
"Don't piss me off! I'm running out of places to hide the bodies.  
  
"You are depriving some poor village of its idiot."   
  
Everyone turned to Lalasa. "What? I'm not that much of a goody-goody, am I?"  
  
*Silence.*  
  
"I guess so..."  
  
===  
  
Kel flopped back on her bed. After winning about 300 dollars off of the game, she had left to get a drink. Unfortunately, some guy made a comment on how girls couldn't hold their alchohol.  
  
Bad idea. Veeerrryyy bad idea.  
  
So, she had beaten the shit out of him...  
  
In a drinking contest.  
  
Of course, she won.  
  
But she passed out on her 30th shot.  
  
===  
  
"Kel, you idiot! How the hell did you end up in a drinking contest?"   
  
"He insulted the female race."  
  
"I see your point. I'm leaving now."  
  
===  
  
That was my horrible attempt at humor. I am NOT good with humor.   
  
So don't flame me, pretty please? 


End file.
